Biography

As a Teenage Death Metal act DECAPITATED averaged an age of just 17 by the time of their debut album but incredibly drummer Vitek was a mere twelve years old upon their formation in 1996. Both guitarist Vogg (a.k.a. Waclaw Kieltyka) and bassist Martin (Marcin Rygiel) also held down membership of Black Metal act LUX OCCULTA. In 1997 the trio of vocalist Sauron (Wojciech Wasowicz), guitarist Vogg and Vitek added the 13 year old bassist Martin. DECAPITATED debuted with the demos 'Cemeteral Gardens' in 1997 and 1998's 'The Eye Of Horus'. Further exposure was garnered by the inclusion of tracks on the 2000 Relapse Records 'Polish Assault' compilation alongside YATTERING, LOST SOUL and DAMNABLE.

The first album, recorded for Earache subsidiary Wicked World, was produced by VADER's Piotr Wiwczarek and sees a cover of SLAYER's 'Mandatory Suicide'. DECAPITATED's early demos were pressed up onto CD by Poland's Metal Mind Productions entitled 'The First Damned', adding two live tracks from the 'Thrash 'em All' festival. The band toured as support to VADER in early 2001.

DECAPITATED's February 2002 album 'Nihility' would include a cover version of NAPALM DEATH's 'Suffer The Children'. The band scored a valuable coup later that same year, being chosen to perform at the Polish 'Ozzfest' event in late May. By August DECAPITATED was on the road in North America with tour partners INCANTATION, VEHEMENCE and DEAD TO FALL. The band, shooting a promotional video for the track 'Spheres of Madness' to further promote the album, would form up part of a strong package bill topped by VADER for a run of dates across mainland Europe from late August alongside KRISIUN and PREJUDICE. Vitek took time out to lay down drums on VADER frontman Piotr Wiwczarek's PANZER X project EP 'Steel Fist'.

The February 2004 DECAPITATED album 'The Negatron' would see a bonus track offering of a take on DEICIDE's 'Lunatic Of God's Creation'. A short spurt of UK dates saw the band ranked alongside ROTTING CHRIST, ANATA and THUS DEFILED. The band then united with Norwegian Black Metal elite outfit MAYHEM and Japanese act DEFILED for a European tour commencing early April. US dates scheduled for July and August had DECAPITATED opening for CANNIBAL CORPSE. However, all North American touring plans were cancelled due to the sensitivy in regard to the band's name and the executions of hostage victims in Iraq.

DECAPITATED parted ways with guitarist Jacek Hiro in October, opting to remain a quartet for February 2005 European gigs allied with HATE, CRIONICS and DIES IRAE. The band re-shaped in June when frontman Sauron closed a nine year tenure by announcing his withdrawal. DECAPITATED quickly drew in Covan (a.k.a. Adrian Kowanek), formerly of ATROPHIA RED SUN, as replacement.

The band entered Hertz Studios in Bialystok in August to record a new album entitled 'Organic Hallucinosis'. September European dates had DECAPITATED partnered with British act GOREROTTED and Dutch Deathsters DETONATION. Following US gigs in December, DECAPITATED parted ways with bassist Martin, the four-stringer having to deal with military conscription issues, pulling in Richard Gulczynski as replacement.

Tragically, Witold Kieltyka died on 2nd November 2007 in a Russian hospital from injuries sustained in a road collision. Singer Adrian Kowanek was also hurt in the accident, which involved the band's tour bus and a truck carrying wood in Gomel, on the Russian / Belarus border.

A DECAPITATED DVD, entitled 'Human's Dust', was released by Metal Mind Productions in June 2008. The main feature of the DVD consisted of the band's October 2002 gig in Krakow, as part of their European tour with VADER and KRISIUN. Bonus material included two live performances recorded during 'Ozzfest' in Poland in May 2002 and 'Metalmania' festival in March 2004, the 'Winds Of Creation' video clip, plus three interviews recorded at Kraków in 2002, 'Ozzfest' in Katowice, 2002, and 'Metalmania' in Katowice during 2004. Also featured was a photo gallery, biography, discography, desktop images, weblinks.

DECAPITATED tapped Austrian Kerim "Krimh" Lechner, of THORNS OF IVY, as their new drummer in July 2009.